Caponizing instrument



Jar 1. 18,-1927. 1,615,125

V. D. LESPINASSE CAPONIZING INSTRUMENT Filed'March 21, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 In-Je PflZZ-fpmdss WMW QIBf ovneyG Jan. 18,1927. 1,615,125

Y. D. LESPINASSE CAPQNIZING INSTRUMENT Filed March 21, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 515/? Infen Patented Jan. 18, 1927.

UNITED STATES,

VICTOR I). LEsIINAssE, or oIIIoAeo, ILLINOIS.

GAPONIZING INSTRUMENT.

Application filed' March 21, 1924.

This invention relates to a caponizing instrument, such. as is employed to raise the testicle of a fowl being operated on and seize the'connecting tissues, and is designed as an improvement in the devices shown in applicants application Serial No. 614,155, filed January 22, 1923.

The object of the invention is to provide an instrument of this character which will be light in weight and which may be readily and delicately employed.

One of the features of the invention is the provision of means whereby, when the tissue-grasping means is operated, the device will be automatically held in actuated position.-

Another feature of the invention is the arrangement whereby the actuating members are pivotally joined.

A further feature of theinvention resides in the structure whereby the tissue-grasping portion of the instrument is offset from the handle portion,-thus permittingthe operator to more easily view the operation.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of one form of the device;

Figure 2 is an edge view of the arrangement shown in Figure 1';

Figure 3 is an end view of the device of Figure 1 showing the tissue-grasping portion of the device in greater detail;

Figure & is a perspective view showing the manner of application of the device of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a side elevation of a modified form of the device;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the device shown in Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a perspective View of a still further modification;

Figure 8 is an edgeview ofthe device of Figure 7 and Figure 9 is a detail view looking fromthe line 9*9 of Figure 8.

In the drawings, in which like reference characters indicate like parts: in the several views, 10 and 11 indicate the two legs of the handle ofthe device, which are joined at one end by the bent portion 12. In the preferred embodiment of the device, the parts 10 and 11 are formed of a single piece of resilient wire'or rod, although, obviously, ,they can readily be formed of sep- Serial No.'700,782.

arat e pieces which are welded or otherwise secured at their ends. The parts 10' and 11 intermediate the ends thereof are provided with the complete turns or spirals 13 and 1 1, which increase the surface of the handle and permit the tool to be more steadily held in the hand. The parts 10 and 11 remote from the part 12 are provided with offset portions 15 and 16, the two members being pivotally secured together by means of the pivot pin 17. The parts 15 and 16 at their ends remote from the pivot 17 are provided with inwardly directed portions 18 and 19 which terminate in laterally extending parallel portions 20 and 21. The parts 20 and 21 may be formed integral with the parts 15 and 16, but the preferred manner of forming the device is to form the loop members 20 and 21, the inwardly directed members 18 and 19 and adjacent parts separately,-the operating end of the device being thense'oured tothe ends of the members 15 and 16 in any desired manner, as by welding or soldering thereto. The parts 20 and 21-, which extend substantially parallel to each other, are joined at their outer ends soas to form aclosed slot therebetween. Slidabl'y and loosely positioned about the upper portions of the legs 10 and 11 is a loop 22 which, when the members 10and 11 are moved toward each other, slides downwardly and retains the device in actuated position.

Referring now to Figure 4, in which a portion of the bird is schematically indicated, the incision 23 is shown held in separated open position by means of the spreader' arms 2 1. The underlying tissues having been perforated, access is obtained to the I testicle 25 i'n-the usual manner. The gland being now exposed, the instrument is held lightly iirthe hand and is placed in the incision with the loop portion preferably directed toward the head of the bird. The parts20 and 21 being placed lightly in contact with the birds'body, the instrument is drawn gently towards" the tail of the bird, causing thetesticle to pass through the space between the members 15 and,l6. This oporation should be performed very lightly, and if force'appears to be necessary, the instrument should be shifted slightly and th'e islotted portion preferably pointed in a slightly different direction. Soiiietinies" itmay be more desirable to pass the instrument from the tail toward the head of the bird, but in this case the process will be performed in precisely the same way.

After the testicle has passed through the opening between the members 15 and 16, the instrument is moved slightly further forward, causing the blood vessels and tissues which attach the testicle to the bird to pass into the loop between the parts 20 and 21.

It is now necessary to raise the gland away from the birds body. The instrument is, therefore, drawn gently upwardly, the parts 10 and 11 being gradually pressed towards each other until the members 20 and 21 vlirmly grasp the connecting tissues, thus taking the strain from off the gland and reducing to the minimum the danger of rupturing it. As the parts 10 and 11 more towards each other, the loop 22 slides downwardly on the handle members and acts to retain them in operated position. Thus, after the instrument has been actuated to grasp the connecting tissues, the operator need no longer hold the handle members together, thus being free to give his entire attention to raising and severing the testicle. It is oftentimes desirable to twist the connecting tissues and blood vessels into a cord prior to severing. lVith applicants present device this may be very readily accomplished, as there is no danger of the instrument releasing its grasp on the tissues during the twisting process.

In Figures 5 and 6, a modification is shown which is substantially like the device of Figures 1 to 4. except that the handle mem bers are not pivotally joined. In this form of the device, the inwardly directed portions 18 and 19 are directly attached to the ends of the legs 10 and 11 of the handle. It will be noted, however, that the operation of this device is exactly the same as in the device of Figure 1. When the handle members 10 and 11 are pressed together, the parts 18 and 19 approach each other, thus acting to close the slot between the portions 20 and 21'. In exactly the same way, when the handle members 10 and 11 of Figure 1 are caused to approach each other, the parts 18 and 19 also approach each other, thus closing the slot between the members 20 and 21.

In the device shown in Figures 7, 8 and 9, the operating end of the device is offset laterally from the handle members, as more particularly disclosed in Figure '1' This device is somewhat similar to the device of Figures lto a in that the handle members 10 and 11" are pivotally joined, as indicated at 17". In this form of the device, however, the operating member 10 beyond the pivot 17 has an angularly extending portion 26 and the part 11 has a substantially parallel angularly extending portion 27. To

assist in maintaining the members 26 and 27 in parallel relation, the member 26 is given a complete turn 28 about the member 27. However, the parts 26 and 27 may be maintained in their parallel relation in any desired manner. Extending downwardly and at substantially right angles to the member 26 is a portion 29 of reduced diameter and extending in a similar manner from the member 27, and spaced from the member 29, is a member 30. The parts 29 and 30 are joined by means of the substantially parallel, right angularly extending portions 31 and 32, between which is a slot 33.

Positioned about the handle members 10 and 11 is a loop 34-, which is in all respects similar to the loop 22 of Figure 1. It will be noted that when the parts 10 and 11 are pressed toward each other, the part 27 will be moved to the left, as viewed in Figure 7, and the part 26 will be moved to the right, as viewed in Figure 7, thus moving parts 29 and 30 toward each other and closing the slot 33 between the members 31 and 32.

As the operation of this form of the device is in all respects similar to the operation of the device shown in Figure 5, the description thereof will not be repeated. It should, however, be noted that when the device of Figure 7 is employed, its operating mechanism is offset well to one side of the operator, so that the process may be more easily viewed.

While in the drawings and in the above description applicant has confined himself to certain definite details, it is to be understood that various modifications of the device may be made without departing from the spirit of applicants invention. The invention, therefore, should be limited merely by the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a caponizing instrument a pair of crossed pivotally joined members, angularly extending substantially parallel portions at the adjacent ends of said members and forming a slot therebetween for receiving the tissue adjacent the testicle, the ends of said portions remote from said members being joined to each other.

2. In a caponizing instrument a pair of crossed pivotally joined members, angularly extending substantially parallel portions at the adjacent ends of said members, the ends of the portions being joined and forming a slot therebetween, said members being provided with parts arranged at an acute angle to each other, and a loop surrounding said parts and adapted by movement towards the point of pivotal connection to prevent retrograde movement of said parts when said parts are moved toward each other.

3. In a eaponizing instrument a pair of crossed members which are pivotally joined to each other at their intersection, angularly extending portions at adjacent ends of said members extending in substantially parallel relation and forming a closed end slot therebetween, said members being provided with parts which are arranged at an acute angle to each other, and a loop surrounding said parts and adapted to hold the same in tissue engaging position by dropping down along said parts toward said point oi pivotal connection.

a. In a caponizing instrument a pair of crossed members pivotally joined at their points of intersection, angularly extending substantially parallel portions at the adjacent ends of said members at one side of said pivotal connection, the extreme ends of said portions being joined, said members on the other side of said pivotal connection having parts arranged at an acute angle to each other and being integrally joined at their upper ends, and a loop surrounding said parts.

5. In a caponizing instrument a handle member, a portion extending laterally from said handle member, tissue engaging members projecting at an angle from said laterally extending portion and joined at their extremities, and means whereby said tissue engaging members may be forced together under different degrees of pressure from said handle member.

(3. In a caponizing instrument a pair of handle members, movable toward and from each other, members extending laterally from said handle members in substantially parallel relation and having relative axial movement, and an elongated U shaped tissue operating arms being bent at substantially right angles to said rods.

8. A caponizing instrument comprising a pair of parallel members having movement relative to each other, looping means for holding said members in parallel relation in their operative movement, tissue-engaging jaws associated with the ends of said parallel members and extending therefrom at an angle, and operating extensions on the other ends of said parallel rods and projecting therefrom at an angle.

9. in an instrument of the class described, a pair of generally parallel side members having their ends integrally joined at opposite ends of the instrument, a pivotal connection between said side members intermediate their ends, and a tissue engaging slot defined between said members.

10. In a caponizing instrument, a pair of generally parallel side members, tissue ongaging jaws extending laterally from the ends of said side members, the outer ends of said jaws being joined together to form a slot closed at one end, and a resilient loop formed between said side members at the opposite end of said instrument.

In Witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 19th day of March, 1924-.

VICTOR D. LESPINASSE. 

